The Indianapolis Colts have officially ended the offseason training program with the conclusion of mandatory veteran minicamp Thursday, and there is plenty of notes to dive into.
Even though nothing is etched in stone for the Colts following the spring workouts, there are still some storylines that emerged or continued during OTAs and minicamp.
Here are eight takeaways from the Colts’ spring workouts:
Andrew Luck missed all of the team workouts
The face of the franchise may have been in attendance for the five weeks of team workouts, but he wasn’t on the field participating. Dealing with a calf strain, Luck was held out as a major precaution to avoid a setback and ensure he’s ready for training camp.
Even with the fact that Luck didn’t take any reps under center this spring, the Colts aren’t concerned at all about it. He is likely to ramp up his throwing activity during training camp as he kept his arm in shape despite not being able to practice with the offense.
As long as Luck is ready to go on the first day of training camp, it won’t matter that he was held out during the spring workouts.
Mo Alie-Cox had a strong spring
Ahead of the start of OTAs, it was noted that Alie-Cox had a golden opportunity in front of him seeing as he would be the acting TE1 in the room this spring while starters Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron recover from their respective injuries.
Alie-Cox did just that during OTAs and minicamp showing that he might deserve a bigger role in the offense—even if it is still behind the talents of Doyle and Ebron on the depth chart.
The 25-year-old appears to be on the road to improvement, especially with his strides in his route running. Whether that will continue upon the return of the other players in the room remains to be seen, but he certainly got off on the right foot during the spring workouts to help build some momentum for the preseason.
Cornerback competition should be fun to watch
When training camp and the preseason games begin, there will be so many positions to watch. At the top of the list will be the cornerback position as the entire room will be under heavy competition the second the pads are put on for the first time.
From the top CB1 spot to the reserve and special teams roles, the Colts will have some heated battles on their hands. Sure, guys like Kenny Moore and Pierre Desir are likely to find starting roles simply given their talent and fit in the scheme, but the entire group is battling for roles.
Guys like Quincy Wilson and rookie Rock Ya-Sin will be squaring off for roles while Nate Hairston and Jalen Collins will be looking to continue their play after both had strong spring outings.
Key Colts receive extensions
General manager Chris Ballard wasn’t blowing smoke when he said this offseason he wanted to get to the point where the Colts are rewarding their own players with new contracts rather than spending big in free agency.
He stuck to his word on that in the form of three key contract extensions over the course of the past two weeks. They all included four-year deals for punter Rigoberto Sanchez, long snapper Luke Rhodes and cornerback Kenny Moore. The latter two became the highest-paid players at their respective positions.
This might not be the final time this offseason or even during the season a player gets an extension from Ballard.
Better depth could limit rookie impact
The Colts have better depth at several positions on both sides of the ball. There is no denying that. And while the incoming rookies have a part to play in the depth, there’s a chance they start out making a limited impact.
That isn’t a knock on the selections made during the draft. The Colts are simply deeper than they have been since Ballard and his staff took over in 2017. Some rookies like Parris Campbell have a chance to carve out a role, but it shouldn’t be expected of this group to have the same impact as the historic 2018 class.
The Colts brought in some solid talent to the roster, but the focus could be more on development rather than immediate production for the rookie class.
Justin Houston’s presence already being felt
The Colts made a big free-agent acquisition in the form of Houston to help aid the pass rush. Though his impact remains to be determined, Houston has already turned a lot of heads during the spring while also serving as somewhat of a mentor for the younger players.
The veteran pass rusher is expected to make an impact working solely as a defensive end without having the duties of dropping into coverage as often as he did during his eight years with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Fortunately, Houston’s days of sacking Andrew Luck are likely over, but the Colts will get to see him on their side once the season begins in September.
Colts had near-perfect attendance
Every year, there is a bunch of news that circulates about some big name player skipping out on OTAs and/or minicamp. The Colts didn’t have that problem this spring as they enjoyed a near-perfect attendance.
Outside of Andrew Luck missing the workouts due to a minor injury, there wasn’t any drama for the Colts off the field. They didn’t have to worry about players skipping OTAs because of contract disputes.
The culture the Colts are building continues to show that everyone is on the same page right now. It won’t always be that way, but having near-perfect attendance—especially at voluntary practice—is a huge nod to the mentality of the team.
Wide receiver roles still murky
Another position that is going to be under heavy competition this offseason is the wide receiver room. Not that it was expected, there was almost no headway made during OTAs and minicamp in terms of roles being carved out by those in the room.
Of course, T.Y. Hilton will be WR1, but no one truly separated themselves from the pack. That includes Devin Funchess, who had a shot at being a front runner for the WR2 role on the outside. However, an inconsistent spring puts him right in the thick of the competition as opposed to leading it.
There are so many wide receivers battling for limited roles in the room, but it should still make for a fun competition to watch during the preseason.
